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LG Optimus True HD LTE's European assault begins in Portugal, Germany and Sweden
While the latest LTE and HD equipped addition to LG's Optimus line has already landed across Asia (Korea, Japan) and North America (US - AT&T, US - Verizon, Canada) under a few different names, the newly rebranded Optimus True HD LTE is finally prepared for a European debut. As seen by the flags flying above, this week LG will begin rolling out to Portugal, Germany and Sweden, with Britain and France on deck for the second half of the year when LTE service is available. The other flags present represent further Asian rollouts in Hong Kong and Singapore. The plan, described in the Korean press release linked below (Update: English PR after the break), is apparently to make LG synonymous with LTE, although we can't see how renaming its current dual-core standard bearer every other week is helping.
The Engadget Show 32: ASUS, Huawei and a trip to Asia's gadget markets
Yep, we went way out for April's Engadget Show, taking our film crew to Asia this time out, to check out the markets of Taipei, Hong Kong and Shenzhen with our very own Richard Lai. We also scored interviews with Huawei's Chief of Design, Hagen Fendler and Michelle Hsiao of the ASUS Design Center. We'll be checking out the month's latest and greatest gadgets, including the HTC One X, S and V, Nokia Lumia 900 and the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, as well as a big ole pile of KIRFs -- some more convincing than others. We've also got a couple of performances by Brooklyn indie rockers Suckers and a whole bunch more. Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater Guests: Hagen Fendler (Huawei), Michelle Hsiao (ASUS), Richard Lai, Guy Streit Producer: Guy Streit Director: Michelle Stahl Executive Producers: Brian Heater, Joshua Fruhlinger and Michael Rubens Music by: Suckers Download the Show: The Engadget Show - 032 (HD) / The Engadget Show - 032 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) / The Engadget Show - 032 (Small) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (MP4). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (MP4). [RSS MP4] Add the Engadget Show feed (MP4) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically. [HD RSS] Get the Engadget Show delivered automatically in HD. [iPad RSS] Get the Engadget Show in iPad-friendly adaptive format.
Diablo III roars into an open beta weekend
Flex those mouse-clicking fingers, compadres -- it's demon-hunting time! This weekend, Blizzard is blowing the doors off Diablo III's beta, allowing any and all (well, those with a Battle.net account, that is) to come try out this upcoming action RPG. The open beta weekend begins at 3:00 p.m. EDT today and lasts until 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 23rd. During the beta, all five classes will be available, but players will be limited to a level 13 cap as they give the game a whirl. To access the Diablo III open beta, you'll need a valid Battle.net account and a BattleTag. Despite playing in the open beta, participants won't be able to post in the beta forums and won't receive Beta Bucks to spend. Asian players in Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau will be part of not this stress test but rather a separate invitation-only closed beta test starting on April 23rd.
Nokia Lumia 610 headed to the (Pacific) 'Ring of Fire' in coming months for €189
The Lumia 610 is a colorful thing, going on sale, in the Firery Ring. Bound by tepid desire, it's about to launch in the Ring of Fire. It's about to launch in the burning Ring of Fire. Sales are down, down, down, and the burning platform feels higher. But it's going on sale, sale, sale, in the Ring of Fire. And also China. The full press release is after the break.
Huawei Ascend P1 arriving in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia by May
Looking to sail the smartphone seas on Huawei's dual-core flagship? Good news if you happen to reside in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia: the 4.3-inch 1.5GHz Ascend P1 will be arriving in your locale by next month. Oh, and Latin America, don't worry, Huawei hasn't forgotten about you. The phone will be bringing its eight-megapixel camera to that part of the world in June, followed by Europe at some other point in the summer. More mystery regions will be getting their chance at the P1 at another undisclosed time. In the meantime, more info can be found in the press release after the break.
Meizu MX Quad-core launching with Android 4.0 in June, gets 32GB and 64GB flavors
Can't say we're surprised, but Meizu's finally giving us the lowdown on the quad-core variant of its flagship Android smartphone. Simply dubbed the MX Quad-core, this new device will be powered by a Cortex-A9-based, 32nm HKMG (High-K Metal Gate) quad-core Samsung Exynos chip -- no word on the clock speed or RAM, but we're betting our money on the Exynos 4412 that goes up to 1.5GHz. Meizu claims this will save up to 20 percent of CPU power consumption compared to its dual-core counterpart. Also, the battery will be bumped up from 1,600mAh to 1,700mAh -- we shall see how much difference this makes when we eventually get our hands on the phone. And yes, in addition to the original white back cover, you'll be able to swap it with one of the five optional colored covers pictured above.On the software side you'll get a Meizu-customized Ice Cream Sandwich system (aka Flyme OS), though it isn't clear whether the company will stick to its old promise of simultaneously releasing a vanilla ROM. The rest of the new phone's identical to the dual-core MX, especially the 4-inch 960 x 640 ASV display and the eight-megapixel BSI camera. While there's still no microSD expansion, here's some good news to make up for this flaw: the base model starts at 32GB and it'll cost the same as the current 16GB MX! In other words, come June the unsubsidized MX Quad-core will go from ¥2,999 (US$480) in China and HK$3,099 (US$400) in Hong Kong; and then there'll also be a 64GB version priced at ¥3,999 (US$635) and HK$4,099 (US$530), respectively. Meanwhile, starting today, the original MX is reduced to ¥2,399 (US$380) and HK$2,599 (US$335). Press release after the break.Now, with Meizu proudly claiming to have the world's first smartphone to utilize the quad-core Exynos chip, we wonder where Samsung's at with its own unicorn device?
LG renames Optimus LTE to Optimus True HD LTE, disses Samsung's HD Super AMOLED
While the Optimus LTE's already made its way to South Korea, Japan and the US (in the guise of the Spectrum and the Nitro HD), LG's decided to give this dual-core handset a new name ahead of its Hong Kong launch at the end of this month. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Optimus True HD LTE. Alas, the "true HD" part here doesn't actually mean the phone's getting 1080p resolution on a 4.5-inch panel (which would be 490ppi; yet Toshiba's actually done it!); but we were told that 'tis really just a dig at Samsung's HD Super AMOLED technology -- you know, the magic behind that 4.65-inch screen on the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S II HD LTE.Simply put, LG doesn't think that 1,280 x 720 on PenTile counts as HD due to the lower number of sub-pixels; and while it's at it, the company also criticized AMOLED's over-expressed colors and higher power consumption in "normal user environment" -- for the latter, LG showed that its AH-IPS has a more consistent power consumption across varying levels of overall whiteness. You can see the relevant slides after the break.Of course, we've already expressed (twice) how much we like the HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy Nexus. The clearness issue now is much less noticeable when compared to the original Super AMOLED; but as for color accuracy, many of us are indeed deceived by the vibrancy that we naturally enjoy -- except when you need to inspect photos, of course. Regardless, we're pretty sure that it's only a matter of time before Samsung strikes back with a, ahem, "true HD" Super AMOLED (Plus) panel -- hopefully in time for the upcoming Galaxy S III.
Google Maps delivers live traffic updates to Hong Kongers, Kiwis and Norwegians
If you're a Google Maps fan living in Hong Kong, New Zealand or Norway today's your lucky day, as the search specialists from Mountain View, CA have added live traffic condition information to the geographic platform. Those wondering just how dismal their evening commute will be can navigate to maps.google.com, or use the various mobile applications, to see the verdict. Google notes that the information is available for "major cities and highways" and that it is working to expand and improve reach over time. Don't be shy, hit-up your Maps medium of choice, drop the traffic layer into place and feast your eyes on the manifestation of urban sprawl.
Panasonic Lumix GF5 accidentally leaked by Hong Kong spokesperson?
Frequent social networkers will tell you that Instagram's usually plastered with food photos and self-portraits, so we were quite surprised to see a product leak over there. After some careful inspection, we're pretty certain that the above picture shows a legit Panasonic Lumix GF5, which from this angle bears much resemblance to the GF3 bar the grip. To add credibility here, the uploader is none other than Hong Kong celebrity Angelababy who happens to be the brand ambassador for Panny (oopsie!). Unsurprisingly, the twee model has already removed the offending picture from her account, but the direct image link still works.You may be wondering: shouldn't this Micro Four Thirds camera be the GF4 after the current GF3? Well, much like Chinese superstition, Japan also prefers to steer clear of the number 4 as it sounds the same as "death" in Japanese. For instance: there was no Lumix LX4 before the LX5. As for specs, Chinese website Nphoto reported earlier this month that the GF5 will also feature a 12-megapixel sensor but with a better signal-to-noise ratio and topping at ISO 12800, while on the back it'll have a much sharper LCD with 920k dots (instead of just 460k on the GF3). Judging by the looks of things it shouldn't be long before we see Angelababy presenting this new camera for real -- let's just hope that she gets to keep her job.
Preparing Hong Kong Apple Store for iPad launch
M.I.C. Gadget has the inside details (and lots of photos) on the Hong Kong launch of the iPad. Unlike the US, UK and other countries which sold on a first-come, first-served basis, Hong Kong was selling the iPad using a reservation system. Customers must sign up for an iPad the night before and wait for an email with a time to come and pick up their tablet. Some people, mostly scalpers, are hovering outside, hoping Apple will sell them an iPad, but they are getting turned away. M.I.C. Gadget sums up the experience by saying "And it is exciting to see boxes and boxes of the new iPad rolling in, stacking up on the shelf all ready for the die-hard Apple fans!" You can read more about the launch and thumb through some of the launch photos at M.I.C. Gadget's website.
Apple to would-be iPad scalpers: don't queue up outside
To avoid the near riot that rocked the iPhone 4S launch in China, Apple is telling Hong Kong iPad scalpers that lines are not allowed, says a report from The Next Web. Apple's note confirms that it won't be selling the iPad on a first-come, first-served basis in Hong Kong this Friday. Instead, Apple will use a reservation system that requires customers to sign up in advance and show a government-issued photo ID before they can buy an iPad. This is doing little to dissuade the determined scalpers who are keen to circumvent Apple's order reservation system. Scalpers will likely arrange in advance to have people buy the iPad for them or offer to buy an iPad from customers as they leave the Apple Store. Apple can't stop scalpers from obtaining iPads using those methods, but it's doing what it can to protect its employees by dissuading the formation of lines.
Star Wars: The Old Republic to launch in the Asia Pacific region on March 1st
On launch day, fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic were able to start logging into the game simultaneously across the world... assuming "the world" meant North America and Europe. The Pacific regions were unfortunately deferred to a later launch date, something that provoked some ire from fans in that area. However, the wait is now over for an official launch day. A launch of March 1st has been announced for Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Naturally, there are fans in those regions who would prefer to play on regional servers but have already started play on existing servers via imported copies of the game. BioWare is promising that players in these regions will be able to transfer characters for free for a limited time following the launch date, allowing everyone to move to regional servers if desired. The game is also available for pre-order now, so if you're in the affected region and want a copy, best take a look at stores near you for order options.
Apple could be forced to stop selling "iPads" in China
Stick with us on this one -- it seems unlikely, but this case could have some wider consequences. Last year, Apple filed a lawsuit against a company named Proview Technology Shenzen in China. It was pretty common by Apple's standards: The company was using the name iPad, and Apple was trying to keep them from doing so. While this was all going on, Proview Taiwan (only loosely affiliated with the Shenzen division) sold the trademark to "iPad" in China to a UK-based company named Application Development, which then sold it right back to Apple. All of this would normally be fine and dandy except for one thing: Apple lost the original lawsuit that was supposed to prevent Proview Shenzen from using the name. As a result, Proview Shenzen is arguing that it still retains the rights to the "iPad" name on the Chinese mainland, and Apple may be fined as much as 2.4 billion yuan ($380 million US). Obviously, this is a tangled legal issue, and I'm sure Apple still has options in the fight before they need to cough up the fine. But there's obviously something here that needs to be worked out, and if it isn't in time, Apple could be prohibited from selling or marketing its tablet under the name "iPad" in China. [via Gizmodo]
Apple Hong Kong revives reserve and pick up page, wants to stop iPhones going abroad
In a bid to keep iPhones sold in Hong Kong on the island nation, Apple has reintroduced reserve and pick up pages for the smartphones. The difference this time around is the inclusion of the customer's Hong Kong identity card number within the registration form, which goes live between 9am and 12pm each day. The aim is put breaks on the speculative smartphone buyers picking up several devices to mule across to mainland China. You'll still need a bit of luck; Apple performs a random draw each day for those that registered, and 'winners' are informed via email. Each card can apparently buy a limited quantity of the in-demand phone -- one that's getting some smartphone obsessives a little too hot under the collar.
Apple Hong Kong combats scalpers with iPhone lottery
Scalping of iPhones is a huge problem in both mainland China and Hong Kong. Scalpers, who will buy the iPhones at stores and then resell them at inflated prices, have exploited both the online and brick-and-mortar availability of the iPhone 4 and 4S and prevented non-scalping customers from having easy access to the devices. The overwhelming prevalence of scalpers in line at the iPhone 4S launch in China caused Apple to scrub the launch at its Beijing store, and the scalpers nearly rioted. According to Electronista, Apple has apparently had enough of the situation and has instituted measures to combat these scalpers. Earlier this month, Apple suspended in-store sales of the iPhone 4S throughout mainland China, and that policy has been expanded to Hong Kong. Apple's online Hong Kong store has instituted a lottery system designed to prevent scalpers from using automated services to make online reservations. Prospective buyers have only a three-hour window to enter the lottery; winners are notified later in the day and required to pick up the reserved iPhone the next day. Stricter identification standards are in force, including a requirement for a government-issued photo ID. Time will tell if this will thwart scalpers and give everyone else fair and easy access to iPhones in China and Hong Kong. It's a fair bet that the scalpers are already looking for ways to defeat or exploit the lottery system.
Did you fire off a bunch of texts this Christmas? Welcome to the museum
Finland might be the spiritual home of the SMS, but it also proves that this ancient form of communication is going the way of the rune stone. A mere 8.5 million texts were sent over the country's Sonera network on Christmas Eve, versus 10.9 million on that festive day in 2010. The same trend was spotted on other Finnish networks and also on the other side of the world: Christmas Day texts in Hong Kong were down nearly 14 percent on the year before, and Telstra in Australia experienced a nine percent year-on-year decline over the whole of 2011. Things are different in America, where texting has continued to grow, but that growth seems to be slowing down and some analysts expect "SMS erosion" to hit Verizon and AT&T by 2014. The obvious culprit is mobile internet: social networking apps, BBM, iMessage and a host of other 'free' options, but you won't find carriers complaining -- data contract ARPUs suit them just fine.
Meizu MX launches today, lines dotted all over China as usual (updated)
This time last year we witnessed the Meizu M9 madness in Shenzhen, so we decided to pay our favorite gadget city another visit for the MX launch today (still the 1.4GHz dual-core model, of course). Surprisingly, the lines in Huaqiangbei this time were significantly shorter, but we were told that this was due to tighter security measures as requested by the local authorities -- if you've seen last year's photos you'll know why. Instead, this year the customers are told to line up only when they get a phone call; but a few keen beans still arrived last night, and the first guy in Shenzhen even turned down hotel accommodation offered by Meizu. Yep, that's how you do a "first" properly, folks. Other big cities in China also saw a similar phenomenon, including Beijing, Guangzhou and even Hong Kong -- it's hard to miss the long line formed along the south end of Sai Yeung Choi Street outside the new Mongkok store. Meizu also informed us that the MX's final hardware benefits from an improved camera (tweaked white balance and the lens now benefits from an oleophobic coating), while the software's been giving many enhancements since our review -- these are mostly the weird default settings we mentioned previously, such as the max clock speed out of the box (now at 1.4GHz instead of 1GHz) and the default video recording resolution (now 1080p instead of the weird 1,080 x 720 setting). Oh, and if you're still rocking the older M9, Meizu has confirmed that it'll also get the Ice Cream Sandwich update later this year, so stay tuned. More in the press release after the break. Update: A Meizu engineer confirmed on the company's forum that from now on, all Meizu Android devices -- including the M9 -- will receive both a vanilla OS build and a Meizu-customised build. That said, the phones won't support simultaneous dual-system, so you must pick your destiny. Thanks, Andi!
Report: Rovio mulling Hong Kong IPO in 2013
Finnish school for agitated ornithological research mobile mogul Rovio may be looking to capitalize on its world-wide brand recognition and ridiculous, un-ending revenue stream by listing its stock on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2013, assuming the world still exists in 2013, that is. The financial liquidity inherent in Asia's increasingly prosperous business climate makes for an excellent pro-IPO opportunity, according to Finnish outlet Tekniikka & Talous. While no official announcements have been made as of yet, an IPO in Rovio's immediate future makes sense considering that the developer is currently valued between $2.6 and $9.1 billion and recently turned down $2.25 billion from Zynga.
Meizu's Hong Kong store opens today, teases mainland Chinese fans with lower MX price
As per Meizu's usual elusive ways, this morning the company quietly opened its Hong Kong flagship store -- the first-ever official Meizu shop outside mainland China. And like its mainland counterparts, we're told that the new shop will be offering the MX Android handset on January 1st as well but with one significant difference: due to the lower local tax, the 16GB MX will be priced at just HK$3,099 (US$398), which is much lower than the CN¥2,999 (US$470) price in mainland. Great, looks like we'll be expecting some lines in the heart of Mongkok in about two weeks' time. %Gallery-141868%
Sony Ericsson's elusive Nozomi shows up in Hong Kong, still glowing nicely
It was only about a month ago when we first came across some clear shots of Sony Ericsson's upcoming Nozomi (aka LT26i), and now it looks like someone in Hong Kong has also gotten hold of this pretty Android phone. HKEPC's forum leakster, who claims to have received this image from a friend, doesn't actually reveal much here (not even a codename), but he or she does confirm that a dual-core chip and a 720p LCD are packed within -- this matches what we heard from the previous leak. Furthermore, we're told that a Hong Kong carrier is already testing this device, so don't be surprised if it pops up in the market within the next month or two.